The Ballerinas-Review-Fiction-Available Now

First off, I am always a sucker for a ballet story. The Ballerinas totally delivers on that aspect.

The author perfectly captures the agony, stress, and ambitiousness of the entire ballet world. She also does a great job of illustrating the love/hate relationship that ballerinas often have with each other.

You make friends, and you trust them with your secrets. But the competition is fierce, and they will stab you in the back to get ahead. And you will do the same when it comes to getting a promotion.

Where the author lost me a bit was as Delphine tried to find her new path when she returned to Paris.

Midway through, the tone of the novel changed. The second half felt more like a MeToo indictment on the ballet world. I get her point as it is made quite obvious.

But ballet is an art that relies on men being strong and women looking fragile. That’s the beauty of the dance. Part of the illusion is the fragility because the women have to be just as strong as the men.

I suppose that might have been the author’s point. Life imitates art. Delphine, Margaux, and Lindsay all find their inner strengths in spite of being bullied or degraded by men.

But it feels forced in places. Some of it is heavy-handed. The “twist” mentioned in the blurb came out of nowhere. Frankly, it took the story in a direction it didn’t need to go. Especially so, considering how the victim had helped one of the characters earlier in the story.

I would have preferred the women be victorious without the incident. I think both Lindsay and Delphine could have succeeded without the tragedy. And Delphine’s ballet for the two of them would have been the ultimate victory.

Overall, the build-up was slow and everything happened quickly at the end. It almost felt like the author knew it was going long and needed to wrap up. I

But it was still an engrossing read, and I would recommend it. This review is based on a digital copy of the book from St. Martin’s Press.


Check out Bright Burning Stars, another book set in the ballet world.

Southern Playboy (Peterson)-Quick Review-Romance-Available Now

The latest book in the author’s “North Carolina Highlands” series is something you should have on your end-of-summer reading list.

It has everything you could want in a book, plus the cutest two-year-old imaginable.

But honestly, as this is book four, you should start at the beginning with Southern Seducer -I promise, you will absolutely fall in love with the Beauregard family. And you’ll get all of the juicy backgrounds on the other brothers!

Here is my Goodreads review of this book.

Southern Playboy by Jessica Peterson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Every time I read a new entry in this series, I feel like the Beaumont family is welcoming me back home. At the very least, a consistent reader is an old friend of the family who is privy to all of the drama…and love. This time, the author has outdone herself, covering familiar tropes of single dad, second chance, hot boss/nanny, athlete hero…it may sound like a lot, but it all works together to make for an engaging and sexy read. I liked that Rhett and Amelia had a history as teens; the slow burn of what would happen between them as adults was just that much sweeter. I thought that the conflict facing Rhett, while realistic within the plot, could have been fleshed out a little more – maybe by Miguel being just a little bit more annoying or pestering. But that is a minor complaint. Liam is by far one of the cutest kids ever and I loved how the author built the family, allowing each member to realize it on their own time. And the truck scene is one of the hottest in recent memory. But the author writes more in-depth; I especially enjoy the big family scenes. I also sincerely hope that Millie gets her story told next – if only so we can see Liam and Maisie interact more. I think those two will become thick as thieves. Great book, fun read.



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Book Review: The Vacation by T. M. Logan

My first introduction to this author was Lies.

Loved it.

Then came 29 seconds.

Another winner.

Now we have The Vacation, and I think it might be his best yet.

Logan is the King of Misdirection. Just when you think you know what’s going on, you don’t.

I absolutely love how he relates his stories. In this book, there is a slow build that follows one main character, with sporadic chapters from other characters’ points of view. There is no set “back and forth” switching; instead, the action moves seamlessly between the different perspectives.

The story belongs to Kate, who is vacationing with three college friends (and their families) at a villa in France. But secrets abound, and not even the youngest (5-year-old Odette) is immune. By the way, she’s also one of the brattiest kids I’ve ever read in a book. A lot is going on, but the author handles it all deftly. I felt Kate’s uncertainty, Rowan’s stress, and Jennifer’s worry (she’s quite the helicopter parent).

As with his other books, everything is laid out nicely, like place settings.  But then, like a magician, he pulls the tablecloth out from under them. Everything is still standing, but maybe slightly moved or altered. The last quarter of this book flew by. All of the revelations started to come to light, and the truth emerged shockingly. I honestly gasped a few times.

Do yourself a favor and grab this one as soon as it’s released (July 21). It’s the perfect summer thriller.    

Book Review: What You Wish For by Katherine Center

There was an awful lot to like about this book. I enjoyed the school that Max and Babette created. I think that every kid could find a way to learn in an atmosphere like that. I also appreciated the seriousness of Duncan’s past experiences and how they shaped his perspective in his new school.

I thought that the journey of Sam was less successful. A major part of her character was not mentioned until later in the story. Then it all of a sudden became this huge part of her. It felt a little contrived. I would have appreciated it more if that had been a bigger issue in the beginning as well. As a result, I didn’t feel like I got a good grasp on her until more details were shared.

It was as if sections of the book got moved around in editing, and something that should have been earlier was moved to later. The subplot of Max and Babette’s daughter, Tina, and her son Clay also wasn’t fully recognized throughout the story. It was in the beginning and then a catalyst for the climax near the end. But that’s it.

I guess it all felt a little disjointed overall. The pieces were all there; I just wish they had been put together a little bit tighter. Still, I liked Duncan’t journey the most and would love to have worked for a principal like him when I was teaching. Rounded up to four stars for the unique climax that was a little screwball but a lot of heart.

Book Review: Sandy by Melanie Moreland

I have many more thoughts on this book, but for whatever reason, I’m a little emotional about this series ending, and I’m having a hard time pulling them together. Until I do, here’s a brief review.

But trust me when I say that you should do yourself a favor and read this series. You will not be disappointed. I hope you fall in love with it as much as I did.

Sandy (Vested Interest #7)Sandy by Melanie Moreland
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

You know that feeling you get when your favorite television series ends? Like you want to know how it all turns out in the end, but you’re dreading it because you know that it will be “the end?” That’s the feeling I had as I approached reading Sandy. I have become so engrossed in the Vested Interest universe and have loved every minute of their stories. I was happy to see Sandy get center stage, and I really appreciated a mature romance. In some ways, it just seemed more sensible than other romances. The message of it’s never too late for a second chance at happiness is heartfelt and pure. I’m going to miss this series (but thank goodness for re-reads). Now the author can work on BAM: The Next Generation 😊

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Book Review: One Hot Summer (The Summer of Us)

I am a huge fan of anthologies, and one that focuses on the summer is obviously going to be great! One of my favorite authors, Melanie Moreland, contributed “The Story of Us” to this anthology. Sunny and Lincoln (Linc) have a sweet romance, even though he has a horrible father and she is from the wrong side of the tracks. Their romance advances during the summer, until all of a sudden, Linc disappears, leaving Sunny bereft. As always, I’m not going to spoil anything, but suffice to say that even this short story is signature Melanie Moreland: it has humor, emotion, a little anguish, and a happy ending. With many of her novels, you can guess the end, but the ride to get there is always entertaining. This review was written based on a complimentary pre-release digital ARC of the book.

Quick Review: No More Bad Dates

No More Bad DatesNo More Bad Dates by Kate O’Keeffe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am a big fan of this author’s “Last First Dates” series, so I was very excited to see the characters return in this series. In this one, we get Sophie (the barista at the Cozy Cottage Café). Sophie and her friends are tired of horrible boyfriends, so they create a system where the group has to vet potential dates before an actual date occurs (it sounds a little complicated, but it really isn’t). As with previous books, there are several likable (and some not so much) secondary characters (Sophie’s family is a good mixture of both). And her potential “dates” are hysterical; the second one had me laughing out loud! Oh, and any book that has a “Friends” reference in it is a winner for me 😉. The HEA is apparent, but the ride to get there is fun. I enjoyed it from beginning to end and look forward to the rest of the series. This book was written based on a complimentary, pre-release digital ARC of the book.

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Quick Book Review: I Wanna Sext You Up

I Wanna Sext You Up (Let's Talk About Sext, #2)I Wanna Sext You Up by Evie Claire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What could have been a run of the mill romance is elevated by the professional relationship of Lorie and Saam. The medical ethics that are addressed throughout the novel add a level of importance to their decisions. I appreciated that, as it gave me pause to evaluate their actions along with them – I like a romance that makes me think. The author also did a great job of building their relationship so that it all seemed very natural (and at times, hot!). I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would and look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House-Loveswept, and the author for a complimentary, pre-release, digital ARC of this book.

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Book Review: Tangled Threat

I have to add to this one. Two of the main characters are Donald and Maria Glass. Donald is described as a wealthy man who owns a lavish Florida resort who has multiple affairs while his wife ignores it. Throw in a totally random reference to Nazis and the desire to “make America great” and what could have been an intriguing mystery seemed to turn into just another opportunity to take unnecessary barbs.

If this was not the author’s intent, the editor should have seen where this could be an issue and fixed it. If it was her intent, shame on her for trying to score cheap political points when it had no bearing on the rest of the plot. There were other choices that could have been made.

Tangled ThreatTangled Threat by Heather Graham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book started out with an interesting concept. I liked the Florida lore, and how there was a parallel between what happened in the past and what was happening in the present. I also like how the author brought the characters back to the “scene of the crime,” albeit in different positions, 12 years after the fact. There were definite bones of a good story here (no pun intended). Unfortunately, the plot wandered about 2/3 of the way through, with the introduction of a strange piece of lore, a few seemingly pointed references that didn’t need to be included, and a muddled ending that is not as clear as it could have been. I ended with more questions than I had as I was reading the story. Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Intrigue, and the author for a complimentary, pre-release digital ARC of this book.

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Book Review: A Stranger on the Beach

A Stranger on the BeachA Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book! Through the first part of it, the author did an outstanding job of planting seeds that made me doubt who was telling the truth and who was lying. At any given moment, I could swing my “allegiance to the truth” between Aidan and Caroline. By Chapter 26, I was convinced that Aidan was a creepy stalker. By Chapter 42, my notes read, “Wth is going on?” and “What’s real and what isn’t?” And by 52, my notes were nothing but “Omg, no way!” (and variations thereof). I cannot stress what a fantastic book this was. It is an absolute page-turner and a perfect “end of summer” novel. I cannot recommend it enough. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for a complimentary, pre-release digital ARC.

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